KABUL: The Taliban warned on Friday against sending more Western troops to Afghanistan, while pledging that it sought only independence under Islamic rule and rejecting concerns it would harbour foreign militants.

In a statement marking Eidul Fitr, Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada combined defiant calls for the United States to get out of Afghanistan with more conciliatory messages.

“The occupation is the main obstacle in the way of peace,” he said, in comments which echoed similar messages the movement has sent in the past.

Rejects concerns that Afghanistan could once again become a haven for foreign militants

While not explicitly acknowledging the recent debate in Washington over US policy in Afghanistan, the message appeared to address several of the arguments made for maintaining or even boosting support for the Western-backed government in Kabul.

In particular, it rejected the concerns that Afghanistan could once again become a haven for foreign militants seeking to attack the United States and its allies as Al Qaeda did when it struck the Twin Towers in 2001.

Calling for “complete independence of the country and establishment of an Islamic system”, he warned against plans under consideration to increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan by up to 3,000-5,000.

“The more they insist on maintaining the presence of their forces here or want a surge of their forces, the more regional sensitivity against them will intensify,” he said.

However, he also promised “constructive and good relations with you and the world” once “your illegitimate occupation of Afghanistan comes to an end”.

He dismissed widespread accusations that the Taliban benefited from aid from other countries including Pakistan and, more recently, Russia, saying it would “not allow anyone else to intervene in Afghanistan”.

“Likewise, we don’t permit others to use the soil of Afghanistan against anyone,” he said.

He urged the US to accept the “legitimate demands of the Afghan people” and seek peace through diplomatic means.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2017